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October 24, 2003

Geoff Brown's heavy put-away of DA Hallinan

Geoff Brown, for 20 years San Francisco's elected Public Defender, has issued an eye-catching indictment of DA Terry Hallinan -- for being a flop as a prosecutor. Brown also endorses Bill Fazio for DA. Brown writes of Hallinan, "The reason for his failure is not that city government has starved his budget. It is not that the police have failed him (although they do solve fewer cases than most departments in the state). It is because he has not managed prosecutions well with good, supportive investigations. It is because he has failed to set standards and supervise staff to achieve those standards. It is because he has driven out experienced staff and demoralized those who remain."

And Hallinan "is unable and unwilling to take those steps necessary to remove serious, guilty offenders from circulation." The complete, but brief, statement, perhaps the most cogent, and platitude-free, press release of the political season, seemed to have been missed by the dailies. It's here. ...

Geoff Brown's put-away of Terry Hallinan and his endorsement of Bill Fazio::

"A criminal justice system is healthy when the forces of police and prosecution are in balance with the rights of the accused. Such balance enables judges and juries to make informed, fair decisions.

"In most jurisdictions, unfortunately, the scale is heavily tilted in favor of the prosecution because local government puts disproportionate resources behind law enforcement while starving the defense. In San Francisco, the situation is different.

"Our district attorney’s office is failing to perform its prosecution function in a professional manner. The incumbent district attorney is unable and unwilling to take those steps necessary to remove serious, guilty offenders from circulation. The metrics all tell the same story: his office prosecutes fewer felony cases brought to him and successfully convicts and sentences a smaller percentage of defendants than any other office in the state.

"The reason for his failure is not that city government has starved his budget. It is not that the police have failed him (although they do solve fewer cases than most departments in the state). It is because he has not managed prosecutions well with good, supportive investigations. It is because he has failed to set standards and supervise staff to achieve those standards. It is because he has driven out experienced staff and demoralized those who remain.

"To his credit, the incumbent has devoted much effort to the rehabilitation of offenders. However, most of the programs he takes credit for began under his predecessors. While he has liberalized existing programs and created a few of his own, his efforts on behalf of non-serious and drug defendants pale before his failures to incapacitate serious and violent offenders.

"Bill Fazio is the best choice for district attorney. I know of his competence because I have tried cases against him and because I have known him for more than 25 years. He is determined to develop a competent, committed office. He knows, and is respected by, the right professionals who can help him to do so. He cares deeply about minorities and women, both as professional colleagues and as the often forgotten victims of crime. Two terms under the incumbent have been a debilitating embarrassment to a once proud office of competent, committed professionals. Bill Fazio has the presence and the posture to return stability and credibility to that office. San Francisco cannot afford anything less."